A mom’s video capturing her 12-year-old son’s sweet, unexpected response during a school ceremony is melting hearts online.
In the now-viral clip, Erica Carillo, 39, records the moment her son, Kyle Carillo Jr., walks up to accept his award at an Honor Roll ceremony. As he heads toward the stage to receive his certificate, Carillo calls out from the crowd, “Love you, son!”
What happens next surprises her — and the entire gym.
Without hesitation, Kyle shouts back, “Love you too, Mom!” The crowd immediately reacts, with a chorus of “aww” heard in the background.
“When your son is not afraid to love you out loud,” Carillo wrote over the video, which has racked up millions of views and likes.
Carillo later said she expected “a smile or a wave,” not a loud reply that echoed across the room. His response, she explained, felt completely genuine — and made the moment even more special.
Although saying “I love you” is common between them, she noted that her son usually doesn’t do it so boldly in front of classmates.
“[Kyle] shouting it across a crowded room in front of his peers was not typical, which is what made it so special,” she said. “It reflected his genuine, openhearted nature.”
Carillo said she shared the video to encourage others to express love more openly — and to remind people not to take time for granted.
“You can’t get back lost time, so it’s important to say how you feel while you can,” she added.
In the comments, viewers praised both Kyle’s confidence and Carillo’s parenting.
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“He said: ‘Love you too mom,’ and set the bar for the other boys 😂,” one person wrote. Another added, “Both y’all are goals I love it.”
“Aww she raised him well 🥹 A true man indeed,” another commenter said.
Carillo didn’t expect the moment to go viral, but said she’s thankful for the wave of supportive reactions.
“I shared it simply because it meant something to me as a mom, and I never expected it to resonate with so many people.”
